House, Senate Approach Digital TV Delay Bill

Compromise legislation between Democrats and Republicans would push the looming deadline for the mandatory transition to digital broadcasting from Feb. 17 to June 12 while allowing broadcasters to move forward with the transition on a voluntary basis.

Lawmakers appeared Jan. 23 to be nearing a deal
that would allow television stations to move forward with the digital
television transition on a voluntary basis while moving the mandatory shutdown
of analog broadcasting from Feb. 17 to June 12.

Prompted by Obama's call for a delay, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman
of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, introduced
legislation Jan. 15 to push the DTV transition to June 12. Jan. 15
to push the DTV transition to June 12. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman
of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, prepared similar legislation,
but neither bill gained traction in the face of Republican opposition to
changing the transition date.

Rockefeller said Jan. 22 he had reached a compromise with Sen. Kay Bailey
Hutchinson (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, to
retain the extension of the digital transition date to June 12 but granting
broadcasters the right to make the transition before the deadline.

"The shameful truth is that we are not poised to do this transition right.
We are only weeks away from doing it dreadfully wrong-and leaving consumers
with the consequences," Rockefeller said. "The coupon program that
was designed to help consumers defray the cost of converter boxes to ensure the
continued functioning of their analog television sets has a waiting list of
over 2 million. This number will multiply to millions more in the weeks ahead.
Making a difficult situation even worse, we also face the frightful specter of
converter box shortages."

Rockefeller added that while consumer surveys show widespread awareness of the
digital TV transition, 63 percent of Americans have major misconceptions about
just what steps they need to take to prepare for the transition.

"Calling centers at the Department of Commerce and Federal Communications
Commission are ill-equipped to deal with the avalanche of calls that are
expected on Feb. 17 and in the days and weeks after," Rockefeller said.
"Consumers will be on their own, forced to navigate through the messy
rubble of a botched transition."

The Senate is expected to vote on the compromise bill the week of Jan. 26.
Waxman is expected to follow Rockefeller's lead in fashioning a compromise with
Republicans.

House Republicans, though, are still adamant about changing the transition
date. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Committee on Energy
and Commerce, introduced legislation Jan. 23 that would keep the Feb. 17
transition deadline but would authorize $250 million for use in resuming timely
distribution of the digital converter box coupons.

"The choice is simple. We can stall everything without clearing the
waiting list, delay a revolution in public safety and wireless broadband
spectrum, cost broadcasters and industry a fortune in added preparations for a
new transition deadline, and spend at least $650 million in stimulus money to
pick up the pieces," Barton said in a statement. "Or we can pass this
simple bill and fix the problem right now."

The program allows for two $40 coupons per household to help offset the cost of
digital converter boxes for nondigital television sets. Consumers with digital
television sets or televisions connected to cable or satellite boxes will not
be affected by the transition.